In total, BP will invest almost £10 million in the four partnerships over the next five years. The increased level of funding from BP will allow us to further develop our programmes and extend access to wider audiences.

The renewal and expansion of the partnerships was announced today in the BP Lecture Theatre in the British Museum in London, at an event attended by Ed Vaizey MP, Minister for Culture, Communications and Creative Industries, as well as the Chief Executives of the four cultural organisations.

Since the beginning of the institutions’ partnerships with BP, the Royal Opera House’s BP Summer Big Screens programme has expanded from one initial location in London in 2000 to 21 locations across the UK in 2011, providing thousands of people access to free world-class ballet and opera.

"I am extremely thrilled that BP has committed to a further five years with the Royal Opera House. The way in which the partnership has grown and developed over the past 23 years is extraordinary - we reached more than 40,000 people this year through our free BP Summer Big Screens, and have worked with many, many more people over the years through various education activities.”

“This is a significant investment, with £10 million going directly towards the staging of world-class exhibitions and performances. For more than 20 years, BP has led the way in business support for the arts, and I am delighted that this will continue over the next five years.”

BP is also a major sponsor of next year’s Olympics, contributing a significant amount towards to the London 2012 Festival. The Royal Opera House is an official IOC venue for the games and is the location of The Olympic Journey, an exhibition telling the Olympic story through the endeavours of ancient and modern Olympians.